COLONIE -- A California woman checking her credit card bills discovered her account had been tapped for dinner and a hotel stay in Latham.

The resulting investigation led to the arrest of four people on charges of credit card fraud.

The Sherman Oaks, Calif., resident noticed she had been billed for food at the Red Robin restaurant and for a stay at La Quinta Inn, both in Latham. Police tracked four people still staying at the hotel who were suspected of using her credit card information.

Colonie police said they are still trying to determine how the four got the data. They were found with a credit card scanning device capable of retrieving credit card data and putting it onto gift cards. Police said such cards were used to charge the woman's account.

Similar gift cards also were found at the scene.

Lt. Robert Winn said the machine enabled the suspects to load new information onto what were originally legitimate gift cards. Four local hotels and the Best Buy in Guilderland were among the places where the phony gift cards were used.

So far, police have identified only the original victim, but investigators have obtained other credit card numbers used and are trying to find the people who own them.

"Right now, there doesn't appear to be anybody local," Winn said.

The four are believed to have been in Latham for about a week, he said.

All are charged with criminal possession of a forgery device, a felony. Blount and Ward are also charged with second-degree forgery, a felony. Ward is also charged with false personation, a misdemeanor.

Other charges are expected, police said, but there is no evidence there are any other suspects at large in the case. The U.S. Secret Service is assisting Colonie police.

All four were arraigned in Town Court and sent to Albany County Jail without bail. They are due back in court Wednesday.